Split Directions: A PreciousMetalShipping Short
by TheDarkRainbow
Summary: When Silver receives offers from both Giovanni and Gold to start over, he must make the choice between the two people with whom he wants nothing more than a second chance with. Rated T for language.


**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon, the characters of Silver, Gold, Red, or Giovanni. I also do not own Kanto, Johto, Unova, or Viridian city. I most certainly do not own Team Rocket, and have no desire to own the incompetent Kanto/Johto police force. If I missed anything, I don't own that, either.**

**A/N: I wrote this. Then I read it. Then I thought it was stupid. Then I laughed at it. Then I uploaded it here so that you can laugh at it, too.**

* * *

Silver crumpled the scrap of paper in his palm, not caring that his father had gone to such lengths to get it to him. The old man ran out on him when he was thirteen, and he wanted him back now? What was his deal? Some punk kid just shows up and ruins his career, and rather than start over, he chooses to run away and never look back.

"Sil?" came a voice behind him. Silver sighed, turning around. Here was yet another of those people who were just messing with his life. Gold. Silver hated the name. It reminded him of hope and promises, and yet every time Silver got his life in order, this child (he was actually a year Silver's senior, but he didn't seem like it) just up and blew it away without warning.

"What do you want, weakling?" he asked, not bothering to keep the venom out of his voice. Gold had always been the stronger between them, and they both knew it, but it still bothered the older boy when Silver called him that.

Gold shifted uncomfortably. "You… you looked like something was bothering you," he began uncomfortably. Silver grunted.

"And what of it?"

"I just… I wanted to help," he blurted out. Silver looked up at him. Never before had he thought that _Gold_ would try to help Silver, making his statement pretty suspicious.

Silver narrowed his eyes. "Really?" he asked, injecting a healthy dose of sarcasm into his voice to get the hint across. Gold sighed.

"Sil, I really do want to help. I'm always trying, and I know every other time I've managed to fuck it up somehow, but just give me a chance! I can help you!" he pleaded, putting a hand on Silver's shoulder. Silver shoved it away, storming off. Damn Gold! What did he mean, trying to help? Nothing he's ever done for Silver had ever paid off; he always suffered at Gold's actions! So then, why?

* * *

He wasn't sure how, but he eventually found himself in a cave not far from Viridian. Viridian had been his childhood home, the place where he had spent his whole life before fucking _Red_ had come along and ruined everything.

Was he resentful? Somewhat. After all, it was hard to forgive someone who just came along and destroyed everything you knew. And yet, Silver didn't really blame him, not anymore, now that he had had a few years to think about it. After all, Team Rocket had been in Red's way, and he'd taken them out, like any other obstacle in his journey. Besides, he couldn't blame Red for his father's response. It was really the way Giovanni had handled his defeat that had ruined everything. He had been weak, and abandoned Silver. So no, he didn't really blame Red for his current situation.

His thoughts wandered back to earlier. He had been contacted by his father, asking him to come to Unova, where no one knew of Team Rocket, to start a new life with his father, one that didn't involve a power – hungry criminal organization. He wasn't sure if he wanted to or not. The idea of starting over again was tempting, but his father had abandoned him before; who was to say he wouldn't do it again?

Then there was Gold. Crazy, immature, rash, Gold. Always the hero, always trying to help, and usually it went right, but when Gold tried to "help" Silver, the problem just got worse. So how could he stay in the Kanto/Johto area with that maniac around? He couldn't slap a restraining order on the boy; he would just ignore it, and the idiots that made up the police department couldn't even be bothered to get a cat out of a tree most of the time. So staying was out of the question.

What was he supposed to do? Stay or go? He was being pulled in two different directions, and he wasn't sure which way he wanted to go. He couldn't avoid a decision forever, though.

"Silver?" called a worried voice outside. Silver tensed, willing Gold not to find him.

Gold found him.

Damn.

"There you are, Silver!" he said, crawling into the cave with him. Inside was really too cramped for both of the boys to fit at the same time, but Silver suddenly didn't care anymore. He was far too distracted by Gold's beautiful eyes…

Wait, what the hell was he thinking? This wasn't right! He wasn't attracted to Gold! Besides, they were both guys so it could never work and _that didn't matter because he wasn't attracted to Gold in the first place!_

"Silver," Gold said, sounding breathless. "Silver," he repeated, looking deep into the other boy's eyes. "Silver, I know you don't like me much. But I like you, and I can see that you're going through something. Please Silver, I want to help you. Let me help you!" he said, his voice rising in intensity.

"No," was all Silver said.

"But why?" Gold pouted. "Why? You always do this to me. Every time I start to get close to you, you push me away. Every time I think I can get you to open up, you lock back down. Every time I think I've caught up to you, you run away from me! I'm so fucking sick of it!" he shouted, shaking his head angrily. "I love you, Silver. I'm _in love_ with you. Why can't you see that? Why can't you make me a part of your life?" Gold asked.

Silver stared at the other boy, his mouth slightly open for a moment. Then he straightened up, shook his head, and said, "No. You always do this to me, and I'm sick of it. Every time I think I finally have my life figured out, you come along and ruin it all. I hate you! Why can't you get the hint? I hate you for always ruining everything for me! Just go away, Gold! Go away and don't come back!" he says, tears rushing down his face as he poured out his frustration with the other boy.

Gold looked hurt for a moment. Then he kissed him.

Silver stiffened at the contact. He hated being touched in any way, but this was the worst. This was an outright invasion of his space!

So then, why did he start kissing back?

Silver broke away, gasping and sputtering. "You… just… what the FUCK?" Silver asked. Gold grinned.

"Just a test," he smiles. "You passed."

"What?"

"Kris and I had our suspicions about you for a while now, so we put them to the test. And we were right, you do have a crush on me!" he exclaimed.

"What? No! I don't like you, I hate you!"

"Silver loves Gold, Silver loves Gold," Gold sing – songed.

Silver punched him in the face to shut him up. Gold just took it, grinning. "It's 'kay," Gold said. "'Cause I love you, and I forgive you for that!"

Silver rolled his eyes. "Please, end this now!" he begged to Arceus.

No such luck. Gold stayed. "Come on, Silver, hurry up and say it!" he prodded at the younger boy.

"Say what?" Silver asked, getting more and more irritated with the boy.

"That you love me, silly!" Gold exclaimed.

"That's it, I'm taking dad up on his offer," Silver said, crawling out of the hole. Trying to trust his father once more would be far easier than putting up with this guy.

"Silver, wait!" Gold cried, climbing out of the hole after him. He ran to catch up with the younger boy, grabbing his arm.

"Silver," he began, taking a deep breath. "IknowthatIhaven'talwaysbeenthebestbutIloveyo uandcanyouforgivemesowecantr yandstartover?" he said, looking hopeful.

Silver looked at him blankly. "What?" he asked.

Gold swallowed, looking as though he was collecting his thoughts. "Silver," he began again, "we got off on the wrong foot. No doubt about it. But I want to start over with you, try to build ourselves a new life, together. I know that I'm not the best choice of people, but please, _please_ just give me a chance!" he said, pulling the taller boy into a tight embrace. "I love you, Silver," he said with such earnestness in his voice that Silver actually considered it for a moment.

"Fine," he said eventually. "I'll give you a chance. But don't expect it to be very long before I'm gone."

* * *

Several years later, it's still not perfect. Gold is still a clueless klutz, and Silver still would rather be alone an unreasonable amount of time. But slowly, they're figuring out how to make this work, and someday, they might just get it right.

* * *

**A/N: Why was Silver in a cave? Why? I don't understand him sometimes...**


End file.
